“I Was Suicidal”: Deion Sanders Thanks Pastor David Forbes for Helping Him Get Through the ‘Darkest Phase’ of His Life

Deion Sanders, ‘the player,’ is an absolute legend for both, NFL and MLB fans. Plus, his coaching career has been nothing short of extraordinary. However, amidst all the glitz and glamor, Sanders has had his own dark days as well. Recently, ‘Coach Prime’ revealed the name of the man who helped him discover God and get through the tough times: Pastor David Forbes.

In 1997, Sanders was going through a tough divorce. In the end, he lost custody of his two children, which sent him into a downward spiral. He became very suicidal, and even purposefully crashed his car in Cincinnati. It was his agent who helped Sanders get in touch with Pastor Forbes, who ended up significantly changing his life for the better.

Deion Sanders was saved by Pastor David Forbes

Deion Sanders took to Instagram recently to share a picture of him with Pastor Forbes on what seems to be a golf course. In the story, Sanders writes, “Pastor David Forbes. This is the man whom lead me to the Lord when I was suicidal playing for the @reds”. 

While Sanders is not the only athlete to go through a messy divorce, it seems the loss of custody of his children had a severe impact on his mental health which in-turn made me suicidal. In his autobiography “Power, Money & Sex: How Success Almost Ruined My Life,” Sanders had reflected on his struggles with his mental health.

In an interview with ANDSCAPE, he had once stated, “I was going through the trials and tribulations of life. I was pretty much running on fumes. I was empty, no peace, no joy. Losing hope with the progression of everything.”

“I finally just got on my knees and gave it all to the Lord. Slowly, but surely, I had to deal with my faith, deal with my strength,” he added. “I had to get a lot of Word in so that I could fight off the enemy. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my faith. People argue about what faith is, and who Jesus is, but it works for me. I’m not going to sit here and argue about who is what, and what is what, I’m just going to say it works for me.”

A devout Christian, Coach Prime is now nothing short of a father figure to all his players. In fact, he recently revealed that being a good father was one of the necessities of joining his coaching staff. He feels that if a coach is not a good father at home, he cannot be a good coach to his players. It seems Sanders wants to make sure his players do not go through the same mental stress that he had as a young player.

Sanders is going through a second tribulation after moving to Colorado

Deion Sanders sent waves through the football community after accepting the Colorado Buffaloes’ $29.5 million offer to be their head coach. Many fans were taken aback by this sudden decision and called him a “sellout” for choosing money over empowering black universities. However, Sanders has been adamant, saying his only goal is to create a powerhouse in the NCAA.

Sanders has been constantly defending his move on social media. He says the only ones trolling him are the ones who cannot digest his success. Coach Prime has a long road ahead of him, shaping the Buffaloes into a college football beast. Though for someone of his caliber, this should not be a challenge at all. Will Colorado find success with Sanders at the helm?